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In this Comodo SSL Review we offer a little history behind the Comodo company and review some of the SSL certificates they offer including free SSL opportunities, Instant SSL certificates, Wildcard SSL options, multi domain SSL, and extended validation SSL certificates.

Introduction to Comodo

Originally based in the UK, Comodo launched Comodo Instant SSL in 2002 and established a presence in the US in 2004. It began providing Extended Validation SSL Certificates in 2007, and it claims to currently be one of the two largest suppliers of EV SSL Certificates worldwide. Instant SSL, which can provide speedy validation through its direct access to IdAuthority when (and only when) the applicant's information as presented in the SSL application is a) already on file with the Id Authority and b) the application information exactly matches the information that IdAuthority has on file.

Comodo SSL Certificate Offerings

Comodo SSL Certificate offerings are tricky to figure out bevcause they are presented differently in the listing at Comodo.com than they are in the listing at instantssl.com. Since the listings are more extensive at instantssl.com, I'll mainly share those with you, adding information from Comodo.com only when it is different.

Free SSL

A free 90-day SSL Certificate is useful for testing your website or server before going live. The free certificate is trusted by 99.3 percent of browsers and is a version of the Essential SSL Certificate. It provides domain validation.It provides 128/256-bit encryption.

Essential SSL

The Essential SSL certificate provides only domain validation (not the business that runs the domain), which requires no paperwork. It comes with a $10,000 "relying party" warranty, has 99.3% browser recognition, and may be used on an unlimited number of physical servers. It may cost as little as $65.80/year. It is not recommended for emerchants, for whom the business authentication is key to customer trust.

Instant SSL

The Instant SSL certificate includes full business validation and is made for intranets and websites. It includes HackerGuardian Vulnerability Scan, and is issued within 2 days. It is trusted by all major browsers, has a $10,000 relying party warranty, a 30-day refund policy, and can be used on an unlimited number of physical servers.It may cost as little as $69.80 per year.

Instant SSL Pro

Comodo does not (as Thawte, GeoTrust, and VeriSign do) provide a side by side comparison of their different SSL certificate offerings, so one has to read through all the details and hope to spot the differences. The instant SSL Pro Certificate differs from the Instant SSL Certificate in seemingly only two ways: it comes with a $100,000 warranty and the cost per year starts at $169.80.

Instant SSL Premium

Again, there's no clear statement of the differences, but it seems that the Instant SSL Premium Certificate differs from the Pro version in having a $250,000 warranty and having a per/year cost starting at $229.80.

Wildcard SSL

Listed only on Comodo.com, not Instant SSL, the Wildcard SSL certificate covers multiple subdomains under one business-validated certificate with strong encryption (128/256) that is broadly trusted (99%+ of browsers), and comes with a $1,000,000 relying party warranty. The starting cost is $779.80/year.

Premium SSL Wildcard

It's not clear why this is listed as "premium," since while being like Wilcard SSL in every other obvious respect, Premium SSL Wildcard Certificates offer only a $250,000 warranty and have a lower starting cost than the simple "Wildcard SSL Certificate"—$619.80/year. This offering appears only on the Instant SSL site . . .

Comodo SGC Wildcard

Also listed only on the Instant SSL site, Comodo SGC Wildcard Certificates employ Server-Gated Cryptography, which allows older browsers that would otherwise be restricted to 40-bit encryption to use 128/256-bit encryption. The warranty is $250,000 and the pricing is in line with Premium SSL Wildcard (without SGC), but not Wildcard SSL, coming in at a starting cost of $659.80/year.

Comodo Elite SSL

Listed only on the Comodo site, it's not clear where this fits into the line-up. The Comodo Elite SSL Certificate provides a business-validated certificate for a single domain (with or without www) and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, 128/256 bit encryption, and a $500,000 warranty, for a starting price of 179.80/year.

Comodo SGC

Listed only on the Instant SSL site, the Comodo SGC SSL Certificate is business-validated and employs Server-Gated Cryptography, which allows older browsers that would otherwise be restricted to 40-bit encryption to use 128/256-bit encryption. The warranty is $250,000 and the pricing starts at $299.80/year.

EV SSL

The EV SSL Certificate is Comodo's least expensive Extended Validation (EV) Certificate, providing you with the green bar, which is licensed for an unlimited number of physical servers, has a 30-day refund period, and comes with a $250,000 warranty. Prices start at $359.00/year.

EV SSL SGC

Presumably this add SGC capability to the EV SSL package, with a price starting at $474.00/year, but no warranty amount is listed.

Multi Domain EV SSL

Also referred to as MDCs (Multi-Domain Certificates) the Multi Domain EV SSL Certificate provides you with the green bar that indicates an Extended Validation process has been undertaken, and includes SGC. The warranty is $250,000 and you can specify as many as 100 domains in the SAN field (Subject Alternatve Name) on the certificate. The starting price is $809.10 per year.